As luck would have it, rain is moving in and it's suppose to dump buckets off and on for several days right as my buddy and I finally locate some birds and get them pinned down. These are easterns, majority of our experience is with rios. Mixed pine and oak woods, creek bottoms/streams, have it narrowed down to approx 300 acre area they seem to hangout in, at least during the mornings. There are no fields around their normal area, only small 1/2 to one acre plots around a mile away, a few areas where the trees naturally thin out and some old trails here there...just big mature woods. Kinda in a toss up on what to do on them in the rain...have jackets, ponchos, and everything else needed to get after them, just unsure how to approach it and worry if they'll even fly down. How would you best approach them?
I would hunt an edge of a field with some deeks to entice them to join them. Of course, you need to be setup under complete darkness, do some tree yelps, and some fly down wing beats and cackles. Just my $.02. Good luck.
Once the rain stops n it will every bird will be out drying in open areas. My old house was in the woods n the back yard wasn't always cut tight. On those occasions the birds crowded into my horseshoe pits to dry.
Also if it thunders that's a def blessing. Most birds gobble like crazy at thunder often strutting in the storm n gobbling each time it booms. I don't advise sitting it out w lightning cracking all around you but I'd be ready the second before it stopped.
Some of the best hunts revolve around storms n best part is most guys are waiting til tomo
Between working construction and farming, I actually look at rain in turkey season as a blessing. Can't do much construction work or farming in the rain so it's a day off to hunt! An old fellow I knew always said "turkeys don't have houses to sit in when it's raining, they just keep doing what turkeys do." Every one knows that turkeys often go to fields in the rain but you said there are no fields where you're hunting. In that case just go out there and hunt! Be patient and remember that you might not be able to hear a gobble as good if it's raining hard and that any bird you do hear will likely be closer than you think. It's not fun getting rained on but as a guy who has limited time to hunt each year I get out every chance I can, weather be darned!
Thanks guys. My buddy and I are giving it a go in the morning. The rain slowed down some this evening so we snuck in to the woods about a hour before sunset...had a good idea where we thought they were roosted and were able to verify their roosting position with a owl call. They're at the base of a small hill going down to a seasonal stream. It was a bachelor group of 3 tons...hopefully they come off the roost, the weather is calling for rain non stop till 9...going to be sitting about 75 yds just up hill of their tree where the woods open up to large pines and oaks!
Well it ended up paying off, had a good 2yr old taking a dirt nap within ten minutes of fly down, pitched down about 75 yards from us
Good scouting paid off! Congrats!
Congrats. Most guys were probably sleeping and you got it done.
Hopefully everyone did not sleep in. We're in Bedford, Co. Today have 1 gobbling distant, and had 1 jake and 2 hens pitch off silent to our lone montana hen ms. purrfect decoy in a field at 7 a.m. we're in a blind with some awesome calls. We're now Pro Staffers for Bent Mtn Game Calls and they are amazing. I'll update by noon. They're currently 10' away feeding in field. :turkey2:
Quote from: Txag12 on April 18, 2016, 01:50:44 PM
Well it ended up paying off, had a good 2yr old taking a dirt nap within ten minutes of fly down, pitched down about 75 yards from us
Way to go! You earned that bird by your efforts. Love hearing that. He'll taste better!
Congrats, you played it perfectly!